Just Like A Tattoo
by Kari Kurofai
Summary: The feelings You hold deep in your heart are permanent, like dark inkings on skin. If you live your life on the run, are you really free from the walls that confine you? Or were you never really living at all. Ian/Gabe, Ray/Suki, Cal/CJ.
1. Chapter 1

**Just Like A Tattoo: Up and Out**

Ian Archer slept a total of three hours and seventeen minutes, his eyes snapping open to stare at the time reading 2: 43 AM on the school administered iPod sitting on the edge of his nightstand. He groaned, pulling the blankets up over his face and simply lying there for a long moment before he gave in to his mind and sat up. His hands shook slightly as he stood, folding the blanket on his bed into the smallest square possible before shoving it into his already overstuffed shoulder bag. For awhile he paced, his eyes straining through the shadows covering the room between The Great Unknown and Gabe's snoring form. He was nervous and jittery, and after staring at his trembling hands for a bit he decided a nice, relaxing shower was in order.

The hot spray was comforting for a brief amount of time, undoing some of the knots he'd worked up in his shoulders. Ian groaned, leaning his head against the cool tile of the wall, watching tiny droplets drip into the drain from his bangs and swirl away into nothingness. In the back of his head he thought about the possibility that this would be his last decent shower for awhile. Or ever. He swallowed, turning the water off and grabbing a towel.

It didn't take him long to get ready, it never did here. He needn't spend time picking out what to wear that day, or rifling through his closet or drawers. White polo, red tie that he didn't bother to mess with, a red sweater over everything, and kaki pants. Perfect, pristine, the very image of a good little probe.

Ha.

Opening the door as quietly as possible he made his way back to his bed, eyeing the shoulder bag apprehensively before digging through it, touching each and every item to reassure himself he had everything he needed, checking things off of his mental list for the hundredth time in the last twenty-four hours. Sighing with semi-relief to find everything still in it's proper place he glanced at the time again.

3:19.

He padded past tightly drawn curtains to the bed closest to the window, staring down at its sleeping occupant for a moment before he sat down on the edge of the mattress, prepared to wait and watch the minutes go by.

Gabe Forrest was a restless sleeper, rolling over every seven or more minutes, sock monkey tucked tight against his chest. He was also a sleep talker, though Ian had long given up trying to decipher his random mumblings and noises in the night. Tonight's topic, from what he could tell, was tomatoes, and Ian couldn't help but smile as Gabe ground out something about how they were just so red and triangular.

Lost in thought he didn't notice the insistent beeping of the alarm until Gabe rolled over beside him, knocking his own Whisper monitored iPod from the nightstand with a huff. Turning onto his back again, the shorter teen stared up at him with a glassy but amused look in his eyes, "You like watching me sleep?" he mocked lightly, words muffled slightly by a large yawn at the end.

Ian rolled his eyes, "In your dreams."

Gabe's gaze fell to his friend's lap, taking in the shaking hands caught in mid wring, knuckles deathly white. "Nervous?" he whispered, sitting up so that he could look Ian in the eye. The other nodded, swallowing but avoiding Gabe's eyes. "We've been planning this for months, Ian. Relax. What's the worst that could happen?" The taller stood, pacing to the window to eye the smudge of light beginning to streak across the horizon. "We could die," he answered. "Or get captured and sent to West Campus. Get turned into gnomes possibly." He turned his gaze back to Gabe, letting his eyes linger for a moment before he looked away again, "Or you could all die and I would be left alone."

"Ian-"

"Every member of Odysseus's crew ends up dead," Ian quoted, keeping his eyes on the lightening world outside.

Gabe let the words sink in, soaking up the feeling of dread he'd felt the first time he'd heard them before squashing the fear down, burying it somewhere deep inside himself where he couldn't feel it anymore. "We're not your crew," he murmured finally, standing and walking over to Ian so that he too could peer out over the darkened school grounds, "We're your friends."

Ian smiled, the expression just barely tugging up the corners of his mouth, "I'm glad you're here with me, Gabe."

"Back at ya buddy," Gabe smirked, grabbing Senior Guapo from his pillow and stuffing it into his own shoulder bag. "Now come on, time's a' wasting and we have to meet the girls in a half hour."

"You're the one who took forever to wake up," Ian pointed out.

Gabe snorted, "Why are you surprised? If you didn't wake me for classes I'd never get out of bed." He shrugged, pointing to an unplugged coffee pot on his desk, "Coffee, now. Or I'll be even less of a morning person by the time I get out of the shower."

"Yes oh great one," Ian teased, moving to go fill the thing in the bathroom quick.

"And I didn't even have to Hyper-suade you this time," Gabe replied gleefully.

Ian raised an eyebrow, plugging the appliance in and dumping a cup of grounds into it, "Do you usually?"

"Of course not," Gabe sing-songed, dancing off to the shower, "I promised to _never_ use my powers against you, remember?"

Ian sat on the edge of Gabe's bed, his right leg jiggling restlessly as he waited, literally twiddling his thumbs as he listened to the sound of running water echoing from the bathroom. _Calm down_, he thought to himself, evening out his breathing every time it sped up. _You need to keep calm. It makes everyone else feel calm_. Gabe had told him that once, explaining that when the leader was of a collected mind, so too would be his comrades.

He'd never really wanted to be the leader.

Breath in. Breath out. He became lost in himself again, going over the exact game plan for the hour ahead, over and over until he'd smoothed out the numerous flaws in it, as though there was no way it could go wrong. He knew better.

A knock on his door nearly made Ian jump out of his skin, and the hairs on the back of his neck raised as he stalked towards the sound, cracking the door open so he could see who was calling at this time of morning.

"Paranoid much?"

Ian allowed the door to open further, watching with a flash of relief as Ray slid inside, flopping down on Ian's bed with a sigh. "Who else would be at your door on this crucial day at this time?" he asked, staring up his crooked nose at the other.

Ian pursed his lips, "Gnomes, nosey faculty perhaps?" he suggested, annoyed.

Ray chuckled softly, "Well, please do inform me of the day Gnomes are allowed to wander freely through the halls."

The blonde raised an eyebrow but let the joke wash over him enough to make him smile a bit, "I don't plan to be here long enough to see that day," he remarked, and Ray nodded.

At that moment Gabe emerged from the bathroom, a billow of steam following him into the room as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, ignoring the wet drip of his hair onto his red uniform sweater, "Just let me dry off for a second and we can haul ass out of here," he yawned, crouching down beside his bed to check for any necessities he could have forgotten.

Ray eyed him with a bored expression, Ian reaching for the iPod beside his bed absentmindedly. He took it from it's charging stand and palmed it, rolling it over in his hand contemplatively. Whisper had said she was scared too, surely he could take this small piece of her with him, if only to prove the existence of this sick school. He pocketed it, making sure neither Gabe nor Ray saw him do it, it would only cause an argument.

"Ready-setty?" Gabe asked, jumping up with his back over his shoulder.

"Is 'setty' even a word?" Ray asked sarcastically, earning a shove from Ian and a glare from Gabe. They may be partners in crime now, working towards the same goal, but that didn't mean they got along often. Or at all. "Just trying to diffuse the tension," he scowled, nodding towards Ian's clenched hands.

Ian breathed out, uncurling his fingers from his palms as they filed out the door, Gabe waving at The Great Unknown before they closed it behind them and stepped into the hall. A wash of nostalgia crept over Ian then, and he glanced at the door, hoping that it would be the last time he saw it, and at the same time already missing the almost carefree shenanigans that went on within it's confines. He and Gabe stuffing their faces with candy snitched from the dining hall, watching old black and white movies Whisper pulled up for them on the computer, piling their dirty laundry on The Great Unknown while he was sleeping, and mourning the loss of said clothes when they had vanished the next morning.

"This is it," Gabe whispered, nudging Ian away from the door, "Come on, let's go get the girls."

Ian's knuckles rapped against the door three times. He waited a heartbeat, and knocked twice more, shortly followed by a single rap against the wood. It was a code they'd set up specifically for this morning, knowing that if they'd been found out the first of their group to be apprehended would be the girls, as their powers didn't help in any way should they need to defend themselves.

The door cracked open and Ray's shoulders slumped in relief on Ian's right as Suki stared out at them before coming out into the hall. "All set?" Ian smiled, putting on his best fearless leader face for her.

"Yeah," Suki whispered, motioning for CJ to come out of the room.

CJ sidled out into the hall as well, carrying a rather heavy looking length of rope in one hand. She passed it to Ray, watching as he slung it over his shoulder easily without question, a determined look crossing his face. "I don't want to psych you out or anything," she said evenly to him, "But there can't be any mistakes today."

"I haven't made any in the trial runs we've done," he countered easily, glancing around their little group, gaze unwavering, "You can count on me."

"We know," Suki nodded, tugging at CJ's arm, "Now let's get moving before Whisper reports us or something."

Ian glanced up at the bubble-like cameras in the corners of the hall, "I don't think we'll have to worry about that today," he murmured, turning and leading the way around the corner.

It took only a few steps for CJ to catch up to him, looking at him in that masked, but scrutinizing way she always did when she was trying to read people. "You've gotten pretty good at putting on a fake smile," she whispered, the words for his ears alone."

"Seems to work on anyone but you," he hissed, annoyed that once again he'd failed to hide anything from her.

"Gabe can see right through you," she pointed out mildly, causing him to glance back at the shorter teen apprehensively. "That's why he's but up his brave façade as well. He knows you're trying to be fearless for us so that we won't be scared, so he's trying his best not to be."

Ian groaned softly, wondering if everyone could see right through him. "Ray and Suki have complete faith in you, they haven't noticed a thing," CJ cut into his thoughts, making him blink. The question must have quite literally been all over his face. "Not that we all don't have faith in you," she amended, smiling. "We believe in you, Ian."

"I wish you didn't," he admitted softly, glancing over his shoulder towards Gabe, Suki, and Ray again. The weight of their lives being in his hands was almost too much to bear sometimes, now being one of them. If he failed, if something went wrong, it would be his fault. The thought alone made him feel sick with fear.

For a moment, Gabe looked up, catching Ian's eyes as the fear flashed through them and he nodded, smiling reassuringly. Ian grinned in return, doing his best to quench that flash of dread. Everything was going to work out just fine.

The wall that surrounded the school grounds glinted in the dawn sunlight, bright and metallic stretching up towards the sky just over twenty feet tall. Ian measured the steps it took to reach it, counting them out until he stood at it's base, staring up it's length with grim determination. They'd been planning, they'd been practicing, and nothing could go wrong. At least that's what he kept telling himself, if only to maintain his fearless façade. He turned, facing the forest and watching as Ray situated his bag and the rope over his shoulders fifty feet away, gritting his teeth before he nodded shortly towards Ian.

Ian latched his fingers together, leaning down to level his hands with his knees, waiting. One, two, three. Ray surged forward, using the enhanced strength in his leg muscles to propel him forward as fast as any Olympic runner. He jumped, right foot landing in Ian's cupped hands, and Ian heaved, throwing him as high as he could, the movement doubled because of the running start. Ray's fingers barely caught the curved edge of the wall's top, slipping along it's surface as the rest of them held their breath down below. Gasping, Ray struggled to get a grip, dragging himself over onto the other side.

They waited, counting the seconds after Ray disappeared behind the wall. Ten, then fifteen, and finally a full forty before a rock came sailing into view, one end of the rope tied around it. Ian sidestepped, letting it fall to the ground with a muffled whump, a laugh escaping him. This was it, they were finally getting out of this hell hole. Untying the rock, he handed the rope to Suki, motioning towards the wall. Suki nodded, grabbing hold of it and tugging twice.

Slowly, from the other side the rope began to move, pulling her up and out of the school grounds. Two down, three to go. Gabe was fiddling with something in his bag as Ian gestured for CJ to go next, and he looked up at Ian with sudden alarm in his eyes. "Uhh . . ."

Ian shifted his attention to him instantly, catching the edge in the other's tone. Gabe was holding the Gnome communicator to his ear, blinking as words came in through the static buzz.

"_Sector . . . Five on the run . . . Appre . . . Force . . ."_

"Shit," Ian mouthed, glaring up at the wall, "Ray, speed it up will ya!" he called, "We've got Gnomes approaching!"

CJ's gaze immediately dropped to them from where she was halfway towards the top, eyes wide. Ian knew what she was thinking, feeling. The fear of getting caught when they were so close, and the futile hope that Cal would show up. No matter how many times he'd told her what had happened, he knew she didn't truly accept it. Cal was a Gnome now, mindless and simply following orders, no matter who he hurt. "Go!" he snapped, shaking his head at her. This was no time to see if they could return Cal to who he was. Not now, and probably not ever.

She scrambled over the top and Ian grabbed Gabe, tying the rope around his friend's waist against his protests, tugging on it and watching as Gabe struggled to undo the knot, even as Ray pulled him to safety. The smaller teen was just above Ian's reach when the first eerie green lights appeared through the trees, moving fast towards them. The communicator was still switched on, now halfway up the wall in Gabe's bag.

"_Capture . . . Delinquents . . . Restrain . . ."_

"Ian!" Gabe screamed, flailing against the knot holding him in place, reaching down as far as he could, "Come on Ian, jump!"

Ian ignored him, raising his fists as the first Gnomes came at him, forcing them back with a practiced series of blows. He'd trained, he was ready, he'd had little doubt he wouldn't make it out. Maybe he was never meant to.

"Ian!"

He kicked out, watching with mild satisfaction as the Gnome tumbled backwards, creating a small domino effect among it's fellows. A laugh bubbled up in his throat, and he swallowed. He was going insane, and he was going to die here.

"Ian!" Gabe wouldn't stop calling is name, frightened, anguished as he continued to rise towards the top of the wall, reaching down as far as he could though there was now way Ian could catch his hands now. "God, Ian, stop trying to be the hero!" he shrieked, clawing at the rope around his waist again desperately, "Come on! _Please_!"

For an instant, Ian could only hear Gabe's voice, surrounding him, enveloping him, pleading with him to move. And so he did, reaching for the nearest Gnome and bowling it over, leaping up onto it's shoulders as it fell, extending his hand as high as he could.

And miraculously, Gabe grabbed it, sweaty fingers latching firmly around Ian's with a triumphant "Whoo!" Ian couldn't believe Gabe's strength as he hauled him up, grasping both of his hands in his own as they scrabbled over the edge of the wall. With nothing to hold the rope up on the other side any longer, they tumbled over the wall, dropping a mere twelve feet compared to the opposite twenty, landing in surprisingly soft undergrowth.

Ian groaned, listening to the howls of the Gnomes who'd lost their pray on the other side, rubbing the lump forming on his head. His breath came in short, nervous gasps, ending in a big whoosh of air as Gabe's arms snaked around his chest, squeezing him tight. "G-Gabe-" he wheezed.

"You're such an _idiot_," Gabe snarled against Ian's shirt, behind them, Ray and the girls laughed.

Ian struggled to sit up, Gabe still tangled around him stubbornly, "You . . . You Hyper-suaded me!" he said suddenly, realizing why he'd felt that sudden tug of urgency a few moments before to escape the fray.

"So?" Gabe said, raising an eyebrow.

"_So_," Ian all but snarled, "You promised to never use your powers on me!"

"No," Gabe corrected evenly, pulling back to glare at him, "You _threatened_ Senior Guapo on pain of death in West Campus if I used my powers! I promised nothing." He frowned, "And in case you didn't notice I saved your life you nincompoop!"

Ian did his best to hold up his annoyed look, but faltered at Gabe's last exclamation, lapsing into a fit of laughter. Gabe looked taken aback, mouth dropping open in surprise, "Wha-"

"You called me a 'nincompoop,'" Ian chuckled, clutching at his sides. Gabe raised an eyebrow, but giggled in response, shrieking as Ian reached over and dug his knuckles into the smaller teen's sides. "We're out!" he exclaimed gleefully, receiving an accompanying whoop from Gabe.

Ray blinked, stunned at their carefree actions before he too started to laugh, letting the joy of escape consume him. The girls watched for a moment before joining in, until the whole forest rang with their ecstatic laughter that echoed with freedom.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

I should REALLY be working on my Gabriel Big Bang fic right now, as it's due in like, three weeks. And I have yet to write a word out of 100,000 of it. Boo. BUT I am obsessed with writing THIS fic that's been nagging at the back of my brain since episode one. In case you can't tell, or didn't read the fic summary, this WILL be an Ian/Gabe fic. I am proud to say I am one of the people who caught these two at episode one and vidded and doodled about it right away. O 3o so I'm very excited to see this come to fruition. And I was super empowered to work on it after ep 8. Cause I love Ray. And Cal. And Ray/Suki and Cal/CJ. So incase you're fic pairing oblivious . . . There's a big clue to the future of this fic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Just Like A Tattoo: Beneath The Stars**

*I'm not sure if 1x09 helped my fic, or not. We shall see. Let's just say it threw me for a loop.*

They walked for hours, Ian losing track of the exact time at some point after two in the afternoon. His feet were sore and he had begun to feel the ache of exhaustion awhile back, but he didn't complain about it.

Unlike Suki, who had somehow managed to convince Ray to carry her piggy back style. Not that that was too hard to begin with, or that it was any trouble to Ray with his enhanced strength. And worse than Suki was Gabe, who had to whine about something every five minutes.

"_Ian, I'm tiiiirreeed . . ."_

"_Ian, I'm bored."_

"_Ian, my feet hurt."_

"_Ian, carry me."_

Ian rolled his eyes, finally deciding he'd had enough, "No," he snapped. "And why are you only whining to me?"

Gabe pointed at CJ and stuck out his lower lip, "Cause Ceej will punch me." CJ glanced at him threateningly over her shoulder and he flinched in response. "Ian, I'm hungry!" he whimpered, looking away from her to Ian again.

The blond snorted, but paused in his walking, causing Gabe to run into his back with a huff. "Fine, let's stop for lunch. But remember, we only have enough sandwiches for four meals, so if you're not famished save some for later."

"Oh I'm famished," Gabe said, making a grabby motion towards CJ, who was carrying the bag with their food in it. She made a face at him and sat down, laying out the food and indicating they could eat.

As per usual, Gabe practically inhaled his food, a motion which Ray copied, leaving crumbs all over his shirt which Suki meticulously picked off, chastising him for being such a messy eater. Ian simply rolled his eyes, eating just enough to quench the immediate pangs of hunger, taking notice as CJ did the same.

Looking up at the trees stretching high overhead, Ian couldn't help but feel apprehensive about the days to come. Sure, they were free, finally free. But what did that entail, exactly? Would they keep wandering around this forest until they died of eventual starvation? Ian couldn't help but allow his thoughts to dwell on such a morbid outcome, there weren't too many alternatives at this point.

Beside him to his right, CJ glanced his way and shook her head slightly, "The fearless leader worries too much," she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear.

Ian smiled, shrugging his shoulders in as carefree a manner as possible, "Only a selfish leader doesn't worry about his comrades," he replied, putting on a mock kingly air as he spoke. Gabe snickered on his left. "I can't help but worry, Ceej, we don't even know where we are, or how far we have to go before we get anywhere near home."

"Or where home used to be," Gabe said around a mouthful of sandwich. He blinked and caught Ian staring at him, "Dude, don't look at me like that. Our parents _gave_ us away. What makes you think they want us back?" He snorted, glaring at his sandwich as though it had just grievously offended him. "What makes you think they'll want _me_ back," he whispered.

"Gabe-"

CJ cut him off with a sharp look, "Drop it, Ian, now's not the time for some deep heart to heart with Mr. Mopey over there."

"I am not Mr. Mopey!" Gabe yelled.

Ian patted him on the back consolingly, "Let's talk about it later, buddy." Turning his attention back to CJ he hissed, "Look, we don't even know how big this stupid peninsula is, okay? Or where on earth it is for that matter. For now I vote we just keep going north."

CJ tilted her head to the side, confusion clear in her eyes, "But . . . How do we know which way is north? I know we were just guessing when we jumped the 'north' wall, going by the compass mark Norman suggested the Tower Prep sign symbolized, but . . ." She drew off, casting her eyes towards the sky as though it could give her direction.

At her hesitation, Gabe smirked, motioning towards the tree he was leaning against, "Well," he started, "One way to tell which direction we're going would be the moss on the trees." The bespectacled teen winked at Ian, "Right?"

Ian grinned, "Exactly. Moss only grows on the north side of trees," he gestured to the towering pines and sycamores around them. "The plan is to head north for another hour or so, and by that time we should be close to the far end of that lake we saw on the map." At this Suki nodded in agreement, remembering the map she'd found buried in a drawer in Cornelius Tower's office. "We'll stop there for the night," Ian went on.

"We're close to a lake?" Ray looked incredulous at this.

"If the maps were correct, yes," Ian replied smoothly, "But I'd like us to stick to the trees for now."

"The lake is too open, too close to the school," Gabe added softly, "If we walked along the shore now we could be spotted." Ray raised an eyebrow, "Spotted? Aren't we free now?" Silence stretched, and Ian let it sink into his heart with the realization that he had no answer to that question.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Ray realized that with each step he took outside Tower Prep's confines that he'd made the right choice.

When Ian had first arrived at the school they had become immediate rivals, the ferocity between them worsened when he realized Suki's unrequited affections towards the blond. Even now, it still made something inside him burn with pure jealousy. But Ray was not a cruel person, no matter what his actions might say. There was a difference between playing a part and living it.

When people choose their friends they are also, unconsciously, picking out their future outward appearance, and given time their overall personality. And Ray's friends, his roommates, were far from what one consider kind. It wasn't until much later he would come to see this and thus see what he'd molded himself to be.

Ray was one of the oldest students at the school, if one was going by how long he'd been there that is. He'd come to Tower Prep when he was eleven, moving up through the Elementary Division into Junior, and finally Senior two years ago. He wasn't the greatest student, or teachers pet, and he merely did what he needed to get by and nothing more. No one expected much of someone who didn't strive to overachieve in the first place. Ray knew what he was doing from day one, blending in and becoming as unnoticeable as possible among his fellow students.

Unnoticeable to anyone but Suki. In terms of how long she'd been there, she was three years Ray's senior. He wasn't surprised by that fact, really. Vocal powers, particularly one such as Suki's, were hard to miss in the real world beyond the walls. They were notably some of the youngest to be discovered. The youngest to be captured and stolen away in the night. And as much as Ray had tried to remain a nobody in his first year at the school, Suki had signaled him out.

In the younger divisions it was a rare and attention drawing event when new students arrived. One, maybe two a year if they were lucky. It was much more common in the Junior area, intensified in the Senior Division. Ray had often pondered on why that was, coming up with the simple conclusion that people's powers grew stronger after puberty started, the mutated genes that made them who they were amplified by the sudden surge of hormones. It made them more noticeable, and actions that had once seemed simple and normal to them became suddenly abnormal in the eyes of those around them.

He wasn't surprised when Headmaster told him he'd been sent here, rather than forced. His parents, like his friends, had not been kind people. Their son who did just enough to move up a grade, got in fights on the playground daily, and holed himself up in his room when he was home was nothing but a disappointment.

It was the fighting that had gotten him in trouble and eventually landed him at Tower Prep. Apparently, he hadn't been the only one to notice his uncharacteristic strength. He hadn't even been aware of it until he'd broken a classmates arm as though it was a toothpick. The guilt had gnawed at him for days after that, and he'd sulked in the seemingly safe confines of his bedroom. The night he'd gotten up the guts to confess that the incident wasn't as much of an accident as he'd made it out to be was the night he'd fallen asleep, waking up in Tower Prep the next morning.

Sometimes he'd wonder what had become of the child whose arm he'd broken. Was he in High School now? Was he looking over his shoulder, wondering if Ray would return to finish him off?

The idea itself was so far from reality it made Ray chuckle softly to himself.

And once again, his mind had wandered back to Suki. When he'd arrived at the school he'd sworn he was done with fights, and the less kids noticed him, the less there would be. That was the idea anyways.

But Suki had insisted on sitting next to him at lunch the second week he was there, in the late spring of the fifth grade. Unlike the people he would later meet, she was indeed kind. She showed him around the hidden corners he had yet to tread, explained to him how Whisper worked, and basically just made him feel more at home than he'd ever felt in his own house.

When he'd complained about the complete lack of television on the campus Suki had reenacted as much of Star Wars Episode Four as she could remember, adding in the voices and light saber sound effects to emphasize performance. Afterwards, she'd confessed it was one of her favorite movies.

It was then that Ray had decided he loved her.

Their first year in the Junior Division was the first time they'd had roommates, instead of the mass boys or girls houses they'd been accustomed to before. Unfortunately, one did not choose who they would room with.

Being an "older" student, when Ray's two roommates had arrived it had been his duty to guide them through the rough adjustment to Tower Prep. One, a year his senior in age, was a heavy set, well muscled guy with similar powers to Ray. The other, a skinny pale thing with the ability to see through solid walls, had been abducted with one of his friends, an Indian boy who could heat things up to ridiculous temperatures with a simple touch. Under their daily influence Ray couldn't help but conform to their wishes, stepping into the mold of superiority they held and maintained from day one. When his older roommate pushed Suki to the ground, knocking her papers and books from her hands and watching with amusement as they spread across the tiled hallway floor, Ray hadn't stepped in to help her, instead wearing the cruel smirk he'd picked up from his new companions.

Suki had stopped talking to him after that, and as with many friendships, regretful as the actions that broke them may be, they fell apart a month into the seventh grade, never sparing a backwards glance one way or the other.

When his older roommate had graduated, Ian had filled up the empty bed. Ian was rash, stubborn, and irrational when it came to many things too numerous to name. But he was also courageous beyond belief, righteous in his actions, and fearless in his stance.

Ray admired him immensely.

And it was because of Ian, and his brash personality that for some reason drew others to him like flies to honey, that Suki stepped back into his life. He had not forgotten, no matter how many days and years had passed, that he had loved her. Loved her still, even. Back then it had been a childish affection, spurned on by similar hobbies and such, a typical first crush. Except the green fires of jealousy he felt when she looked at Ian, adoringly as though he was some sort of heaven-sent hero, forced him to see it wasn't as meaningless as he had thought it to be.

He'd nearly punched a hole in the wall when Ian had said he'd found her attractive, instead replying with a meek agreement. It wasn't until months later he'd learn it had been Suki saying those words, hiding in Ian's bed while Ian tried to clear his name in the tunnels through and beneath the school.

When they'd been assigned partners in the field trip out into the woods he'd been ecstatic to have Suki as his, though he didn't miss the way her eyes had flashed with annoyance and anger. He didn't blame her, really.

Thankfully they hadn't discussed the past, and after some poking and prodding, they'd almost reverted back to the children they'd been when they were friends, howling in the woods and laughing until their sides hurt. Then, Ray thanked God for poison ivy.

It was not too long after that, suspicious of the map the Vice President had found in Gabe's bag, that Ray had followed her to the observatory. With her sharp eyes CJ had caught him only heartbeats after he snuck into the room, calling him out and begging Ian to punch him for trespassing. Except that Ian didn't, which had surprised Ray immensely.

He'd always just assumed Ian played lapdog for CJ, if only because she was pretty.

He was wrong.

Instead, Ian had sized him up, watching him, waiting for his even sharper eyes to reveal to him his enemy's move to be. A move that never came, and with Suki's eyes on him, shocked but semi-hopeful, he'd confessed what he'd been hiding for a long, long time.

"_I want to get out."_

It was a misconception to think that everyone wanted that. Sure, there were people who missed their pets, their siblings, their parents, their X-Box, but few wanted to give up the prestige the school placed upon them for those things. At Tower Prep they were special, no longer the odd ones out or the overlooked nobodies. Ray wanted to go back to being a nobody.

Nobodies didn't hurt people. And they didn't have friends that they could betray.

At his admittance, Ian had simply smiled, holding out his fisted hand towards Ray with a quiet laugh, "_You're in the right place_."

Ray had understood then and there why he was the unanimous leader.

And now they were out, free, breathing the same air they had while behind those walls that for some reason now tasted so different it made him gasp with the joy of it as he walked. "Six years is far too long," he surmised, bringing himself back to reality with a sideways glance at Ian.

"Try nine," Suki muttered at his side, and he touched her shoulder consolingly.

"Or a lifetime," CJ sighed, gazing up at the stars that were starting to appear far overhead, barely visible through the yellow-orange glow of the setting sun.

Gabe made a face, "Stop being so depressing," he grumbled, crossing his arms, "You make me feel like the baby of the group."

Ray raised an eyebrow, "Yes, you, with four years at Tower Prep, are the baby of the group as opposed to Ian with his single, still uncompleted, year," he said sarcastically, earning a collective giggle from the others.

He couldn't remember the last time anyone had laughed because of something he'd said, and he smiled to himself, feeling a flush of red spread to his cheeks.

As they stepped out of the coverage of the trees Gabe whooped loudly, waving a hand towards the glimmer of water just ahead. Ray grinned, catching the shorter teen's eyes and the challenge in them. In a heartbeat they were dashing towards the shore, tearing clothes off as they went. Suki opened her mouth to protest that the water had to be colder than hell this time of year, but closed it after a breath, shaking her head. CJ simply rolled her eyes while Ian called after them, exclaiming something about an unfair start before he followed, tugging his shirt over his head.

Ray laughed with glee as he hit the water, ecstatic that he had won. Gabe let out a disappointed groan as he skidded to a halt on the shore, ignoring the exclamations from the girls far behind him to "just jump in already we don't want to look at your naked butt" before he was bowled over into the water by Ian with an undignified squeal.

"It's c-cold!" Gabe hissed as soon as his head broke the surface of the water. After a moment of gulping down air he turned a ruthless glare at Ian, who was lazily treading water between him and Ray. "You're lucky I didn't have my glasses on," he muttered sourly, holding back a chatter of his teeth.

"Boo, quit being a party pooper," Ian smirked, bobbing underwater for a moment and reappearing with his cheeks puffed out, presumably ready to spit a mouthful of lake water at his friend. Gabe backpedaled and slapped his hands down on the surface of the lake, sending a spray into the air at his defense.

On the shore, Suki set about laying out the supplies she had in her bag, examining each item carefully. "Think we're far enough away to light a fire?" she asked CJ, holding up the lighter she'd nicked from a chimney smoker of a teacher a few months back.

CJ glanced back the direction they'd come warily, towards where the school would be. "Wait till it's darker, so no one can see the smoke. And let's set up camp farther inside the trees so the light from the flames will be harder to spot."

Suki nodded in agreement, picking at a blade of grass near her feet, "You sure know a lot for someone who's never seen the world outside the school's walls." She blinked, casting an apologetic glance at the other, "Sorry, that was rude of me. I didn't-"

"It's fine," CJ smiled, "I know what you meant. And it's called _reading_. I don't just indulge in vampire romance novels you know."

"But those are nice," Suki confessed with a sigh.

"Though not terribly insightful," CJ reminded. "After Ian came to the school I started looking into other books." She grinned, "After that disastrous field trip I got away with reading a bunch of extensive field guides on plants and such. Though Headmaster refused to let me see any about survival in the wilderness." CJ winked, her head resting in her hands, "Although he didn't think anything about my sudden interest in a few seemingly harmless novels like My Side Of The Mountain and Hatchet."

"Genius," Suki breathed, impressed. "And yet you still didn't know about the moss on the north side of trees."

CJ stuck her tongue out, "Even genius's have their faults. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Didn't know what a record was either," Suki mumbled, earning her a playful shove from the other girl.

Her eyes wandered back to the lake, watching as the boys splashed about in the water. Currently Ian had his arms draped over Gabe's head as he shouted, "Go!" and shoved the other under the water, only to have him reemerge a moment later gasping out "Green?" before Ray barked out a "Nope!" and Ian dunked him again.

"What the heck are they doing?" CJ asked, frowning as Gabe sputtered out another color, apparently also the wrong answer as he was shoved beneath the water again.

"Some game," Suki surmised, "Gabe has to guess the color Ray's thinking of or he gets dunked with every wrong answer."

CJ snorted, "Boys. That sounds like soooo much fun," she said sarcastically.

"Let them enjoy it," Suki murmured, chin in her hands, "They deserve a breather. We all do."

After a pause CJ nodded, watching as Gabe apparently guessed correctly and launched himself on Ian, screaming that it was time for revenge while Ray laughed so hard he had trouble staying above the water. "How about the responsible girls gather up something for dinner while the boys make fools of themselves," CJ said finally, and Suki nodded in amused agreement.

An hour and a half later the boys dragged themselves ashore and redressed, shivering as they made their way to the small fire burning between the towering trees at the edge of the forest. Gabe crouched beside the small collapsible pot that was bubbling over the flames and sniffed, making a horrid face as he did so. "Ugh! What _is_ that?" he gagged.

"Supper," Suki informed, while Ian knocked the raven haired teen upside the head for the rude comment.

"Poison," Gabe said under his breath while Ray swallowed thickly beside him, eyes narrowed at the concoction.

Ian rolled his eyes, ignoring them, "It looks great girls, how did you make it?"

CJ, pleased someone appeared to appreciate at her work, launched into a lengthy explanation of a water purifier, gathering edible plants she'd seen in a book, and mixing it all together to heat over the fire. "And I'm almost certain that it was the mushrooms without the spots that were safe to eat," she ended, missing the way Gabe mouthed the word "almost" with utter terror on his face, and Ray scuttled backwards away from the stuff.

"I'm sure it's fine," Ian smiled, grabbing a cup that Suki held up for him expectantly, tossing similar ones to the others, smirking as Gabe fumbled nervously with his. "Dig in!"

Thankfully, the mushrooms were not poisoned, though Gabe insisted on sipping at his soup as if they were, frowning and smacking his lips with each taste until Ian elbowed him in the side, "You can't _taste_ poison," he hissed. After that Gabe had stopped, muttering about how his friends were trying to kill him, an idea Suki only insinuated with a sly toothy grin.

Ray climbed one of the trees they had their backs against as soon as he was done eating, making his way as high as he could before he peered out over the land around them. "I can barely make out the lights of the school," he called down when Ian asked, "But it could be just my imagination. It's just a spot, like a far away star."

"Let's hope it stays that way," Ian murmured to himself before looking upwards again, "And in the other direction?"

"Nothing," Ray confessed regretfully, "More trees as far as the eye can see. But it looks like they thin out somewhere near the horizon. Although that could just be my imagination again."

Ian shook his head, "No, I trust your judgment on that. Come on down now so we can discuss a watch for the night."

Between Ian and Ray, the later somehow unconsciously promoted to chief advisor to the leader after they'd jumped the wall, they decided that the two of them could handle the watch for the eight or so hours they'd have of the night. "I'll take first," Ian insisted, "I'm used to longer stretches without sleep. And I'll wake you at about two, agreed?"

Ray gave in, rifling through the bags until he pulled out all the blankets that had been packed, divvying them out between the five of them. "Should we keep the fire going?" he asked, glancing at it and noticing the way it was starting to burn out.

"Might as well," Ian said, "It'll at least be something nice to look at."

"You're supposed to be _watching for danger_," Ray laughed, "Not staring at the fire!"

"But that's so much more interesting," Ian teased. "Now as for sleeping arrangements-"

Before he could go on CJ threw her hands in the air with exasperation, "You have to decide how we sleep too? You're such a control freak!"

Ian smiled, allowing her annoyance to continue for a moment, "A control freak who's keeping you safe. Now, I think it's best if you, Ceej, sleep in the middle, and Suki on your right. That way you girls have the most protection."

Reluctantly, CJ admitted that it was a good idea, and by the time everyone was settled down for the night Ray occupied the far right, Suki against his shoulder, CJ to her left with one of Ian's arms around her and the teen himself beside her, and Gabe on the far left, Ian's other arm looped tight around him as well.

Over the glow of the fire Ray couldn't help but laugh to himself at the sight, making a tisking sound with his tongue. "You're such a mother hen, Ian," he whispered, careful not to wake the girls, and Gabe was already snoring, Senior Guapo squashed between his arm and Ian's chest where his fist was clenched into the taller teen's red sweater vest.

Ian raised an eyebrow but smirked at the remark compliantly, "Something wrong with that?"

"No," Ray said evenly, "It's why they all trust you so much. They know that you'll give your life to keep them safe." He watched as Ian reached over CJ so that he could touch the top of Suki's head, laughing softly as she mumbled in her sleep.

"And you?" Ian asked, replacing his arm around CJ's shoulders when she shivered, drawing the blanket up tighter around her, his other hand threading into Gabe's hair. "Do you trust me?" his eyes caught Ray's as he searched for an honest answer.

For a moment, if only for dramatic effect, Ray hesitated, "With my life," he admitted finally, smiling at the relived whoosh of air that escaped the blond. "You didn't expect me to? You were the one that allowed me to join your little ragtag escape band, remember?"

"One of the biggest risks I ever took," Ian replied in all honesty. "After Connor, I wasn't sure who to trust anymore. But I knew you cared about Suki, and I figured you to care enough not to betray her, no matter how much you hated me."

"Hated?" Ray echoed. "Hate's a rather strong word, don't you think? I hate the school, and Headmaster, and every one of those fuckers who kept us trapped their like lab rats for their own amusement. But for you I merely felt contempt," he said assuredly, "And jealousy," after a breath.

Ian snorted, shaking his head, "Why would anyone be jealous of me? I've been expelled from two schools, escaped from a third, and have never had a single lasting friendship before this year. There's not much to be jealous of."

"But the ladies fall all over you," Ray confessed, glancing down at Suki with a frown.

Ian couldn't help but laugh, "Have at that, my friend, I couldn't care less," he said, taking a drink from his water bottle.

"Ye gads," Ray mocked, "Ian Archer, favorite of all the ladies, has no interest in romance?" he put his hands to his cheeks and opened his mouth in an O of fake horror.

"It wasn't something I've had the chance to give much thought to," Ian laughed, leaning as far over as he could so that he could flick Ray on his pointy nose, making the other snort in surprise. "Back home I was defending myself and the regular crowd of bullied kids from the neighborhood jerks."

"Always the hero," Ray sighed, Ian glared at him.

"And here I was formulating a plan of escape," he finished.

"So little brain space is too easily filled I see," the dark haired teen teased, earning him another annoyed flick. "But I mean, come on man, you have three of four comrades practically kissing your butt to get your attention, you can't say you've never thought about making a move on one of them." At this he crossed his free arm in front of Suki, "But not this one. I will deck you."

"Three of four. So you have no interest in a make-out session then?" Ian surmised, wiggling his eyebrows, taunting the other.

"In your dreams," Ray gagged.

Ian chuckled, turning his gaze back to the fire lazily, "Well, even so, I'm not the type that's well versed in that sort of stuff anyways. Not even the platonic sort. My parents simply needed an heir, and what they gained was a disappointment." He shrugged at Ray's sympathizing, knowing look, "I really couldn't care less. As far as anything else goes, sex isn't love."

Ray choked on his own spit at this, "Holy- are you serious?" He held out a fist, "Bump it. You the man."

Ian complied, rolling his eyes and pursing his lips so as not to laugh. "Might as well not waste pure perfection," he grinned, gesturing at himself.

"Your ego is showing," Ray coughed.

"As you said, the ladies like me," he replied.

Ray tilted his head to the side, contemplating on whether he really wanted to know, "How many?"

Ian held up three fingers after a pause, "All before I came here, all one niters. Girls dig the bad boy idea but don't come back for seconds when they realize their bad boy has a picture of his dead dog on his nightstand." Ray laughed and Ian smirked, "And that's the story of my life, what about you?"

Shrugging, Ray muttered, "Nothin' much, been here since I was eleven and have loved the same girl the whole time. No great feats to speak of here." He pointed an accusing finger at Ian, "But don't change the subject. You're avoiding it like the plague."

"What subject?" Ian asked innocently.

Ray sighed loudly, "The one I've been trying to steer you towards since we started talking!"

"Which is . . ." Ian prompted.

"Gabe!" Ray threw his hands up the same way CJ had done only an hour ago, "Good lord! Gabe! Gabe and you, you and Gabe, however you want to say it!" He blinked at Ian's look of utter surprise, "Oh for- Of course you're oblivious to it. The only people who don't see it are always those directly involved. For the love of-" he stopped himself with a hand to his forehead, breathing in. "You don't find it odd?"

Unconsciously, Ian tightened his arm around Gabe's shoulders, "No, I don't. I have no idea what you're talking about, Ray."

Ray groaned, throwing his head back to stare at the boughs of trees overhead before he continued, regaining what remained of his sanity. "You are an idiot," he surmised after a moment, nodding to himself. Ian glared. "I mean, come on Ian, you can't have not noticed unless you were a complete moron." He waved his hand in the air before Ian could protest, "Because, you know it's _so _completely normal that when you need to make a point, or say something important, that you have to be touching Gabe to do so, or vise versa. Same goes for finishing each other's sentences, talking in unison, and jumping into danger for each other. As well as Gabe being the one you seem to shield the most when shit goes wrong, even if it is unconscious. _And_ as I recall it was _Gabe's_ poster I was about to rip down, and _Gabe _I was pushing around when you tried, and basically succeeded, in punching my lights out."

"That-" "Is old news," Ray finished, ignoring the open mouthed expression Ian wore as though he wanted to say more. "And to top it off, Gabe dropped everything and didn't care that he could get sick too when you collapsed during the election, practically screaming his head off until you got the medical attention you needed as well as refusing to leave your bedside until you woke up." He held up a hand for silence, "I was there, remember? In the infirmary. I'm not as oblivious as you."

Ian closed his mouth with a frown, "We're just friends."

"Who live in the same room and eat together and finish each others sentences and _insist_ on having contact with each other all the time." He gestured to Ian's arm around Gabe as if to prove his point.

"But I have my arm around CJ too!" Ian protested.

Ray smirked, "Denial is such an ugly thing." He shrugged, "But tell me, would you kiss her? As anything more than curiosity or a one niter?"

Ian narrowed his eyes, glancing down at her, "Er . . ."

"Hesitation equals a no then," Ray concluded. "And Gabe?"

Ian swallowed, refusing to look in the other boy's direction, "I don't have to answer your stupid questions anymore," he said with a glare at Ray, "Now go to sleep!"

Ray raised his hands in front of his chest defensively, "Okay, okay! No need to get all riled up. Geeze." He closed his eyes, muttering a final, whispered, "Denial," under his breath.

The blond snorted, staring pointedly at the fire while he contemplated Ray's words, rolling them over and over in his head as the night wore on until he couldn't find the line between what had been said and what had really happened, because for the most part Ray's points had been _true_. So then, where did that leave him? With a heavy sigh, Ian resigned himself the task of watching the way he acted in the days to come, and more than that, observing the way _Gabe_ acted around him, and vise versa.

**RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE**

Long chapter is long. Almost five pages longer than the first. D: which is good for all of you but equals sore fingers for me. At least, I HOPE there's an "all of you" because It's very dull writing this if no one is enjoying it. *cough*review lots*cough*

ANYWHO. I love Ray. More than I should, really. Haha. He reminds me of Draco a little too much. *glomps Draco* but that's no the point. He smart and insanely cunning in my mind, which is why I think he targeted Gabe in Election. He has no quarrel with Gabe other than the fact that that he's Suki's apparent future man *gags* and at that point there were little to no signs of such a thing. He was after Ian. HE KNOWS! Lol. So lotsa Ray this chapter, lotsa Ian next chapter. And some more Ian/Gabe of course. O 3o

For the future, does anyone know Cal's powers? From what I could tell it was insanely good hearing in the Field Trip ep. Am I right? O_O


	3. Chapter 3

**Just Like A Tattoo: The Road Less Traveled By**

Dawn was just breaking over the horizon when Ian stirred awake, blinking open foggy eyes to see Ray standing not too far away, leaning against a pine with his eyes half closed. When Ian shifted his gaze flickered to him for a brief moment before he nodded, turning his attention back to the forest around them. Ian stretched, moving his arm stiffly from around CJ's shoulders with a yawn. He paused then, realizing he hadn't had to take his left arm from anyone, and a spark of fear twisted its way through him when he confirmed his suspicion, the patch of ground Gabe had rested on the night before laying empty.

"Don't panic," Ray murmured from where he was, folding his arms across his chest, his breath coming out as a little cloud in the chilly morning air as he spoke, "He went down to the lake." He gestured to the water, Ian's eyes following his hand until he caught sight of the distant figure at the edge of the wind swept up waves, a sigh of relief escaping him.

Without a sound the blond rose, dusting off the back of his pants as he made his way towards the lake, ignoring the little lazy smirk Ray cast him. As he neared the shore he noticed Gabe was up to his waist in the water, his fingers skimming over it's unsteady surface, creating ripples upon the tiny waves. Ian chuckled at the sight, tugging his shirt over his head, quickly followed by his pants and shorts before he began to wade into the lake, shivering at how cold it was.

"Aren't you cold?" he called, pausing as Gabe stilled, startled.

Gabe turned, blinking at him behind his glasses, "Uh, not really. I've been in awhile." He shrugged, dipping his hands into the water again, looking away as Ian approached.

Slowly, remembering the things Ray had so nicely pointed out to him the night before, Ian laid a hand on the other teen's shoulder, "It's pretty here, isn't it." Gabe nodded mutely. "It's too bad we can't stay."

"Yeah," Gabe whispered, tracing a ripple across the water. He swallowed, shaking his head, "Ian . . . I'm scared," he whispered, almost too soft for the blond to hear.

Ian blinked, "I know," he replied, squeezing Gabe's shoulder reassuringly. "We all are." His thumb pressed against a thick white scar across Gabe's skin, following it down his arm, measuring it's length, "I've never noticed this before," he murmured, leaning down to give it a closer look.

Gabe shifted, glancing at the mark Ian was studying, "Oh, that. It's nothing, really. Another gift from Tower Prep, you could say." He shrugged again, as though it really were nothing, but Ian's eyes lit up with fury.

"They did this to you?"

The dark haired teen glanced at him, smiling slightly, "In part." He reached up, poking Ian in the chest playfully, "You don't have to get all worked up, you know."

"I-"

"I did it to myself, really," Gabe reassured, "The school doesn't allow tattoos."

Ian let out the breath he'd been holding, preparing some retort, "Wh-what?"

Gabe laughed, long and loud, "You're surprised? I've hinted at my life before I came here, Ian. Does the term 'Parole Officer' ring any bells?" He shook his head, glancing at the scar again, "It wasn't anything fancy, just something I did myself one night. A big capital G, to remind me who I am, and that I was my own person." Gabe rubbed at the spot, frowning, "But that was years ago. It doesn't matter anymore."

Holding up a hand, the other to his forehead as though quelling a coming headache, Ian muttered, "Wait, wait. So you had a tattoo."

"Yes," Gabe confirmed patiently.

"How old were you?"

"Thirteen," he reached up, closing Ian's open mouth with a smile, "Don't look so surprised, you're making me feel bad." He laughed, "Did you think my life was nice before I came here? It wasn't."

"Gabe-" Ian started.

Gabe tilted his head, moving to push Ian's mouth closed again, so that they stood waist deep in the water, practically skin to skin, "Don't ask. Not yet. I don't question your past, and you shouldn't question mine. I'll tell you if I want to." He stepped back, turning towards the shore, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm starting to get cold."

Ian stared after him, rubbing a hand over his face and the water from his eyes. Nope, Ray had to be wrong. If Gabe truly felt something for him, he'd have no reason to hide anything. Right?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Wrong," Ray sighed, "So, very, very wrong." He threw his hands up in the air as they walked, "Obviously he's hiding stuff because he doesn't want you to get hurt."

Ian raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Why would I be hurt by something that's already happened? That doesn't even make any sense."

Ray scowled, pointing a finger at him before jabbing it into his shoulder, "To you. It doesn't make sense to you." He sighed again, long and suffering as though Ian was the bane of his existence. "Look, it's like this. You're his hero."

"Wha?" Ian's mouth quirked into a half frown, confusion written all over his face.

"To him, you're a hero," Ray went on, motioning to Ian and then vaguely over his shoulder to where Gabe and the girls were trailing along behind them. "You represent all the good in the world he's ever known. And apparently, there's something in his own past he doesn't like, and thus, doesn't want you to know. He doesn't want his hero to look down on him."

Ian growled, shoving his hands into his pockets, "S'stupid," he mumbled, kicking up some dirt along his ziggzaggy path through the trees.

"He cares," Ray argued. "You're both just a couple of stubborn idiots." He blinked and looked thoughtful, "I guess that means you match?" Snorting, Ian elbowed him in the side, shaking his head.

Behind them, Gabe made a face, crossing his arms, "Ugh, how come Ray suddenly gets to be all buddy-buddy with Ian? Who made him second in command?"

"It's only logical that he takes that position," Suki pointed out, flinching at the glare he gave her in return. "I mean, with his powers and his fighting skills, it makes sense for him to be in a position of power."

"You're just saying that because you like him," he muttered.

"And you're just complaining because you're jealous," Suki countered smoothly, CJ choking as she held back an amused laugh.

Gabe started, narrowing his eyes, "Of course I'm jealous. I've been in the group far longer and the new kid gets to be second in command. What's up with that?"

Suki groaned, rolling her eyes, "Boys . . ."

"Are so stupid," CJ sing-songed beside her. Turning her attention to Gabe she smirked broadly, taking in the little flickers of nervousness across his face, knowing she was scrutinizing him. "If you want to impress Ian, why don't you scout ahead a bit?"

"He'd never let me," Gabe said, staring at the ground.

"Don't tell him," Suki whispered, "Just sneak off. He won't notice and if he does, we'll say you went to take a leak, or something." She laughed at his suddenly mortified face, "If you find something, come running back and you'll look like a hero. It'd be great!"

Gabe looked skeptical, "Only if I find something . . ."

Suki let out a "gah!" and shoved him into the trees, "Just go!" CJ gave him an added push, just to make sure he actually went and they nodded in mild satisfaction as he stumbled off.

"This is either going to be terribly disastrous, or terribly genius," CJ muttered. Suki nodded in grim agreement. "Let's just hope he doesn't fall in a hole. Again," She went on, frowning at the thought.

"Or that Ian doesn't kill us when he finds out he's gone," Suki added, casting the boys ahead of them a wary glance. "After all, it's only a matter of time."

It took exactly six minutes and forty three seconds for Ian to notice, according to Suki's watch. Deep in a conversation with Ray as they trampled their way through the forest, he suddenly decided to turn around, probably to take a head count as he seemed to do unconsciously every ten or fifteen minutes, and immediately noticed Gabe's absence.

"Where's Gabe?" he asked, halting his steps, Ray glancing over his shoulder at the girls curiously, rolling his eyes as he took note of the missing member of the group.

"Great, just great," Ray hissed through his teeth, fisting a hand around the strap of his pack.

Suki tried her best to look as innocent as humanly possible, "Gabe? Well you know, Nature calls . . . And stuff."

Ian smacked a hand to his forehead, "Suki . . ."

"He knows you're lying," CJ whispered to her, "Think fast."

"Look, I'm sure he'll be back any second now," Suki continued, waving her hands in front of her chest defensively, "Any second . . ."

Ian opened his mouth, ready to snap out orders to search for him just as a yell echoed through the trees.

"Ian! Over here!"

The blond closed his mouth, shoulders slumping in relief as he turned towards the direction of the noise, stomping off through the trees. Ray sighed, "Nice," he growled at CJ, "What if he's hurt? Ian will be pissed."

"He's fine," CJ said, sticking her tongue out at him in response, "And besides, why are you only blaming me?"

"Because I feel like it," he stated instantly, earning a frustrated glare from Suki before he mumbled out a hurried, "Never mind, sorry." Straightening up again he shuffled ahead of them, ignoring the way the girls shook their heads at his back as he did so. As he caught up with Ian, Gabe came barreling out of the forest, practically crashing into them, Ray sidestepping just in time while Ian caught him by the shoulders before they could collide.

"Whoa! Slow down," the blond laughed, eyes scanning the bespectacled boy for any signs of injury as he spoke, "What is it?"

Gabe, grinning from ear to ear, tugged on Ian's red jacket, pointing the way he had come, "Over this way, you're going to love this. If we'd kept going due north we would have missed it." He pulled on the other's jacket again, dragging him along as he maneuvered through the trees once more while CJ and Suki high-fived in silence close behind before following.

Ray stared up at the trees as he walked, pretending to be oblivious to Ian's worried whispers to Gabe, and Gabe's reassurances that he was fine, and that no, Ian didn't need to check to make sure he hadn't hurt himself and not noticed. He blinked up at the foliage, realizing that as he had said the night before, the trees were starting to become fewer and farther between, and he was so engrossed in that thought that he smacked right into Ian's back when the blond stopped suddenly. Rubbing at his forehead and wincing, Ray peered around the taller boy to see why they'd halted just then, and gasped.

There was a road, narrow and winding made of black asphalt twisting it's way through the trees and out of sight. Ian's mouth was hanging open again, and Gabe closed it patiently, smiling, pleased with himself. After a moment Ian paced out into the center of it, standing on one of the pale sun worn yellow lines, "Gabe, you're amazing," he breathed, smiling too when Gabe stared down at his shoes, embarrassed. He inhaled again before letting out a triumphant whoop, "We did it! We found civilization!" He yelled, screaming up at the trees, "You hear that Headmaster! Ha!"

Gabe laughed, the sound coming out in a startled whoosh as Ian ran at him, hugging him tight. The smaller teen chuckled, pressing his face briefly into Ian's shoulder, "I'm glad you're happy," he whispered, too soft for anyone to hear.

CJ toed the edge of the blacktop, and Suki prodded her in the side, "Have you never seen a road before?" She huffed as CJ returned the jab, "What? You were confused about records, can't I make assumptions?" "You're never gonna let that drop, are you," CJ sighed, groaning when Ian and Gabe looked up from their hug with a loud, "Never!" She glared at them until they silenced again, "Anyways, I have seen movies you know."

"That's like saying you've seen the grass through your window but never touched it," Suki said evenly, obviously exasperated at her friend's lack of outside experience. "It doesn't count."

Ray snorted, dodging a slap from CJ as he did so, "Sorry, but I have to agree with Suki on this one." He waved a hand, amused at her annoyance, "So come one, come all, let's follow the yellow brick road!" Ray laughed, stepping out onto it and watching as the other's followed.

CJ blinked, "But this road is black," she pointed out, looking confused as they all groaned, "What?"

Ian shook his head, laughing softly as he patted her on the shoulder, "Let it go, Ceej. But from now on you might just want to try and keep your mouth shut if your confused about something." He sidestepped when she glared, grabbing Gabe by the arm, "Aaaanndddd we're off!"

"To see the wizard!" Gabe added, linking arms with him before they chuckled and began to skip down the blacktop.

Ray rolled his eyes, "Try and stay on the left side so you can see the cars coming!" he called.

"If there are any," Suki whispered, Ray putting a hand on the top of her head.

"If there aren't, all roads have to lead somewhere," he murmured.

At least, that's what he hoped.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hours later, however, Ray was starting to become scared that he had been wrong. They continued to walk just inside the left of the yellow median lines, Suki entertaining them with various animal noises at CJ's request. Ahead, Ian was still apparently highly amused by the Wizard of Oz analogy and had snagged Senior Guapo some time back, currently throwing it too high for Gabe to reach while yelling, "Flying monkey! Flying monkey!" while Gabe danced around, trying to snatch his toy back.

"All roads lead somewhere, huh?" Suki muttered, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

Ray slumped, "I never said they lead anywhere anytime soon, okay? Roads like this can stretch on for miles and miles before hitting any real civilization. And considering we walk about two or three miles an hour, we could still have a day or more to go. It's not like riding in a car."

Up ahead, Ian paused in his steps, lowering his arms so that Gabe could grab his sock monkey back, "Wait," he hissed, whirling, "Something's coming!"

"Gnome?" Ray asked, freezing in surprise as his first thought made its way out of his mouth. Suki slid over to his side instinctively, CJ clinging to her arm.

Ian stood stalk still, closing his eyes and looking for all the world like he was listening, but Ray knew better. "No," he said after a moment, the his vision clouding for a moment as his Pre-flex took over, "Car. A truck."

Ray took a step back, grinning, "Well that's another matter entirely."

Suki's eyes widened and she tugged on his sleeve, "What? What are you going to do? Don't be an idiot."

"Worried?" Ray smirked, amused as she made a face at him, "Then stand back." He shook her free, stepping out into the middle of the street, waiting as he felt the tiny vibrations of the car approaching in the soles of his feet. "Gabe," he called, "Be ready, okay? I'm going to need your help in a few seconds."

Gabe swallowed as Ian drew him back, pushing the girls behind him and keeping a tight grip on Gabe's arm as they moved to the side of the rode. Ray had widened his stance, cracking his knuckles just as the car came rolling around the corner into view. Ian held his breath, watching as the driver, unawares, looked up from his phone a moment too late, mouth open as he noticed Ray only feet from the hood of his car, hands held out.

The world slowed as Ray stopped the car with sheer strength alone, sliding backwards across pavement so hard that the smell of burnt rubber that arose came from the soles of his shoes. The back wheels of the navy blue truck spun as the force of the stop lifted them almost a foot off the ground before gravity kicked back in. the driver, gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles had gone white narrowed his eyes as time seemed to snap back into place once more, opening his mouth to yell something but Gabe was suddenly right there, pulling the side door open with a smile as fake as any Ray had ever seen, and then some.

"Why hello there," Gabe said pleasantly, making the driver close his mouth in shock. "Would you mind giving us a ride? I really think that'd be a good idea, don't you?" He gestured the direction the truck had come, "Just over that way, thanks. Until we reach the next town or city or whatever."

The driver stared, blinking stupidly for a moment before he nodded, "Uh, there's room in the bed . . ."

Gabe grinned toothily, pushing his glasses up his nose with a finger, "Great! But could the girls ride in the front with you? No funny business though, it's just safer for them that way." He turned, glancing over his shoulder at where Ian, Suki, and CJ were all still standing on the side of the road, "Come on guys, pile in," he called, winking at Ray who lifted his hands away from the hood of the car, frowning at the hand prints left in the metal.

"Impressive," Ian whispered as he passed, making sure the girls were seat belted in on the passenger side, "And that's without the Rooks' drugs?"

Ray snorted, "You know it is." He pushed past him, pulling himself up into the back of the truck, sitting down on the hump above the right tire before he offered a hand to Gabe, heaving him up as well while Ian scowled at him. "Come on, get in before this bozo decides it's time to drive off."

"He won't," Gabe piped up happily, "Not until I tell him to." Ian clambered into the bed and Gabe nodded, slapping a hand to the navy blue side, "Right! Let's haul ass out of here!" He let out a rather unmanly squeal as the truck revved forward, making a sharp U-turn that sent him rolling across the bed and into Ian, much to Ray's amusement as he was the only one with enough forethought to hang on.

Ian huffed as Gabe collided with him, wrapping an arm around the smaller teen's shoulders to halt his tumble. "Having fun, Gabe?" he teased as the other shook his head, looking a little worse for wear.

"Not especially," Gabe muttered, sitting up, "when can we eat? I'm starved."

Ray laughed, leaning over the edge of the truck as it barreled down the road, heading god knows where and getting there who knows when. And for once, he didn't really care.

Gabe whooped, coming to crouch next to him and hanging over the side, Ian holding on to the back of his red jacket so he wouldn't fall.

This was what freedom was all about.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

And it is now a minute to midnight. Lol. Backstreet boys are counting down and I am babysitting. Alone. Sucks, yah? ;_; so here u are, a new chapter. One secy while I count down.

Anywho . . . As of now, I am still working on my Big Bang Gabriel SPN fic, which is due soon. But I'm also TP obsessed since 1x10. And Gabe telling Ian he loved him and kissing him. Hysterical, but so fluffy I thought I was gonna die.

ALSO, I'm working on two other TP fics now as well, mini-verses in fact. The Broken!Verse (What Must We Do To Restart) and the Headmaster!Verse (With Great Power). So check them out to absorb more Ian/Gabe fluff, kk? :D


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